K-pop group (G)I-DLE. Photos courtesy of Cube EntertainmentMANILA — In K-pop, summer heralds the arrival of songs crafted specifically for the season, often featuring lively melodies and sun-soaked visuals. Spanning from June to August in Korea, this period serves as a canvas for artists to explore bright and breezy tunes.

After a series of empowering anthems, the chart-topping girl group (G)I-DLE hopped back on the seasonal trend with their new extended play (EP) “I Sway” and its lead single “Klaxon.” This marks the five-member act’s first summer-themed release in nearly four years, following the festive “DUMDi DUMDi” from 2020.

“We are back with a summer song after a long time and we wanted to do something fun and exciting,” Soyeon, who leads and produces most of the singles for the group, said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.

“I thought it would be great to have a song that everyone could listen to and enjoy while going somewhere in summer, and for that reason, we are back with a summer song,” she said.

Derived from the name of an electric horn or alerting device, “Klaxon” is a feel-good anthem featuring vibrant brass instrumentation. Lyrically, the members sing about an exciting summer romance.

Vocalist Miyeon said she longed for the group to put out a summer release “because I really love fun and exciting songs.”

“I had so much fun with ‘DUMDi DUMDi’ because we could perform with big smiles and have fun on the stage with the audience,” she said.

Soyeon

MiyeonGrowth

But “I Sway” — which offers three other songs: “Last Forever,” “Bloom” and “Neverland” — not only provided the girls with a platform to return to summer tunes, but also helped them realize their growth as recording artists.

“Soyeon gave me an unforgettable comment when we were recording. She told me, ‘Since Yuqi sings my song the best, let’s work harder,’” Yuqi said.

Soyeon, who often directs her bandmates when they record songs, elaborated: “Two albums ago, I said ‘Yuqi, you are good.’ In the next album, I said, ‘Wow, you are getting better Yuqi.’ Now, in this new album, I am saying she’s the best.”

“Compared to previous title track recordings, I completed recording ‘Klaxon’ in the shortest amount of time. I completed it all at once and didn't need to record it again,” Minnie said.

Minnie(G)I-DLE — which also includes the youngest member Shuhua  — debuted in 2018 under Cube Entertainment. Since then, the group has steadily amassed a significant following with their music that often addresses themes of empowerment and self-love.

READ: 'Super Lady' MV marks K-pop group (G)I-DLE's comeback

In 2022, the group achieved domestic chart-topping success with their first studio album “I Never Die” and its single “Tomboy,” the latter garnering acclaim from Billboard as the best K-pop song of the year.

Looking back on the group’s debut, Miyeon said, “Even though six years is a long time, it doesn’t feel that long to me.”

“It feels like our debut was just yesterday,” she said. “Although it could feel like a long time, it passed by quickly. It seems like not much has changed when I look back.”

Yuqi

ShuhuaFor her part, Soyeon believes the group was able to last for six years because of the members’ honesty with one another and their fans.

“Since NEVERLAND (fans) always support us and we can talk honestly to them without keeping anything back, we always have fun and stay happy together,” she said.

For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the Hallyu Corner microsite.